Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning systems breathe life into a building. Concurrently mechanical systems consume the largest percentage of energy in the built environment. tk1sc delivers practical, balanced and innovative design solutions to meet functional needs and minimize environmental impacts
Our designs include the use of radiant heat transfer to enhance the space comfort. This type of heat transfer allows the occupant to “feel” their surroundings and adapt to a high performance built environment. The system acts to heat and cool occupants and surroundings from fixed elements in the occupied space. The heating and cooling elements include the following;
Our designs can include the use of thermal storage for the purposes of reducing peak energy usage and transferring energy usage from one time to another part of the day, week or month. Thermal storage can be provided o=in many different forms within a building, see below from some of the more common types used.
The use of dedicated outside air systems (DOAS) has become very common in recent years and in high performance buildings. These air handling systems are 100% outside air and can be designed to control the amount of outside air into an occupied space. This allow the ventilation load and associated energy usage to be conserved when the occupants are not in the space or more lightly occupied than peak design. A critical element of high-performance building HVAC systems is the separation of ventilation load from space heating and cooling. This system helps accomplish this important goal and enables the building to save a significant amount of energy.
The use of geothermal system in HVAC systems is a key element in high performance building design. These systems allow for energy to be rejected or extracted from the earth. Close loop systems are designed like a large heat exchanger underground to reject or extract energy from the ground. These systems also have the benefit of reducing or eliminating a systems need for cooling towers and the water evaporated in the towers. This system is a key element in high performance and highly energy conserving HVAC systems.
Our designs include the use of natural ventilation to provide supplemental cooling for high performance spaces. The use of natural ventilations can be added to other systems in a mixed-mode approach to enhance energy efficiency and occupant satisfaction through added ventilation. Thoughtful integration and coordination with the design team is needed for this approach.
Just as temperature and light are key elements of comfort, the quality of a space is also defined by the acoustical environment. In collaboration with the acoustic engineer, our design team will identify the noise and vibration criteria of the specific spaces early in the project. Based on the criteria and type of spaces, noise and vibration control measures such as maximum sound power requirements for equipment, silencers selection, ductwork air velocities, and vibration isolators will be incorporated into the design to maintain the sound level required.
A hybrid approach to space conditioning combines natural ventilation from operable windows (manually or automated) and traditional mechanical systems with air distribution and refrigeration equipment. Each “mixed-mode” solution is specifically tailored to the uniqueness of a building. This approach to air conditioning offers a few advantages over sealed air-conditioned buildings, such as reduced HVAC energy consumption, higher occupant satisfaction and comfort, and potentially longer life of the mechanical systems.
For specific building types, displacement air distribution might be a very effective cooling alternative strategy. In delivering conditioned air at floor level, the more buoyant, warmer air is displaced and naturally floats to the ceiling; by conditioning only the lower occupied area, energy is saved.
We perform a wide array of energy analyses and modeling to demonstrate compliance with energy codes and support high-performance building goals. We lead the process and work closely with the design team to communicate design insights that will result in high-performance building solutions.
Providing a safe environment for occupants is the primary objective of designing HVAC systems for Laboratories and Healthcare environments. The function of each space is vital in determining the appropriate HVAC system selection and design. Unlike other building types, temperature, humidity, relative static pressure, air motion, air cleanliness, sound, and exhaust are regulated. The basic differences and regulations stem from the following.
Laboratories and healthcare HVAC systems design solutions may significantly affect construction, operation, and maintenance costs. Therefore, our engineers keep abreast of new technologies and regulatory changes that can be incorporated in the system design, contributing to reduced construction costs and energy savings while maintaining a safe environment for occupants.
tk1sc was brought on to provide mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services on this renovation and expansion for St. Mary’s School, Orange County’s only independent preschool through grade 8international baccalaureate (IB) world school. The project added 50,000 square feet of classrooms, three science labs, an art wing, and a 4,000 square-foot teaching and foodservice kitchen.
Airborne Systems is a world leader in military parachute design, manufacturing, and training. They tasked tk1sc with providing full-service MEP engineering and commissioning services for their new office, warehouse, and manufacturing space. Located in Santa Ana's Alere's Orange County Industrial Center. This 159,163 Square Foot space provides Airborne System enough space to operate. The intention for this space design was to create a better connection between the front office and the manufacturing floor that blurs the lines between the two functions. This space's open ceiling concepts allowed us to show off our design work while adding to the overall rugged and industrial feel of this space.
A start-up virtual reality developer takes its new home on the first floor of a1970s office tower. Given the company's virtual product, an effort was made to accentuate the "real" in the working environment and inspired the design team to use cutting-edge technology. The concrete corbelled ceiling and the office HVAC, electrical, and network systems are exposed and highlighted, providing an industrial aesthetic. Wall surfaces and doors are heavily textured, with the lighting designed to accentuate these elements. Given the digital nature of the workforce's tasks, we carefully considered lighting control, allowing fully dimmable options for direct and indirect illumination. Light is focused on the work surfaces, letting the walls fade back not to washout the multiple TV monitors. With limited fixture types throughout the project and all the fixtures being 100% LED, maintenance is minimized. Interior Architecture was done by Bolette N. Albertsen, with full mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology services by tk1sc and lighting design bystudioK1.